Hotel Spa and Wellness Services in Crete: A Marketing Analysis

Abstract

The focus of this contribution is on the analysis of main components and characteristics of Spa & Wellness Services provided by hotel businesses in Crete, Greece. A brief definition of the concept and a typology are presented in the first section. A business environment analysis with the main trends and developments in this field is the topic of the second section. This is followed by the main section reporting on a field research conducted in 2012 in Crete, Greece. This research has been carried out by applying the method of a personal interview to hotel & spa managers offering these types of services. In particular, the following issues have been investigated: Services, Products and equipment, Consulting services, Human resources, Financial issues, Market, and Business performance conditions. This means that a marketing analysis requires an integrated approach to all related business managerial issues. The main conclusions of this research lead in shaping and defining a framework of factors for successful Spa and Wellness services in a well-established holiday destination.